In classroom 1-B, Hikaru glanced once more at his desk neighbor, Honami Ichinose.
The strikingly beautiful girl was surrounded by her classmates, her warm and gentle smile never fading as she chatted with each of them tirelessly. Despite it being their first meeting, Honami had already seamlessly blended into the class. Beyond her remarkable appearance, the aura of confidence she exuded played a significant role.
Someone everyone can easily talk to is undoubtedly pleasant to be around, but increasing affection levels requires a more thoughtful approach. It might even be harder than it seems.
Hikaru's thoughts raced. His starting capital was only 100,000 points, the welcome bonus. Honami Ichinose's shares were priced at 10 points, with an offering of 5,000 shares. If he decided to invest fully, it would cost him 50,000 points.
But after all, it was their first meeting. He didn't yet know the girl's true personality. Better to wait and observe before making a decision. Maybe she was actually a jerk behind that angelic appearance?
Just then, a slender figure stepped onto the podium.
— "Good morning, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Tomoe Hoshinomiya."
Hikaru looked up. On the podium stood a young woman with long brown hair, dressed in a stylish outfit, her ends slightly curled. She smiled at the class, radiating a warm aura.
Once all the students turned their attention to her, Hoshinomiya continued:
— "First of all, congratulations on your admission. Our school follows a no-class-change system, so the classmates you see here today will be your companions for the next three years. I hope you get along well."
— "As your homeroom teacher, I won't change either and will stay with you until graduation."
—"Wow!"
The classroom erupted in cheers, whether celebrating the absence of class changes or having such a cute teacher for three years.
—"Next, regarding school rules: we follow a full boarding system. All students will live in individual apartments and cannot leave the school without special permission."
— "Of course, besides classrooms, the school has many facilities for your entertainment." Hoshinomiya counted on her fingers, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Whether it's restaurants, a shopping street, karaoke, or a café, everything is here to ensure you're never bored."
Then, she announced an even more surprising rule.
— "Additionally, the school has implemented a special system called the 'S System.'"
Hoshinomiya pulled out her phone to show the class. "Your student IDs have a built-in app where you can see your 'personal points.'"
—"Personal points, simply put, are like money usable at school. One point equals one yen."
—"These points will be credited automatically on the first day of each month. You can check them on your student ID. It'll be your allowance during your school years."
—"Oh, and by the way... you'll receive 100,000 points."
—"What?!"
—"100,000?!"
—"That's huge! I've never had that much allowance in my life!"
The class instantly grew noisy. Each student pulled out their phone to check and found, under their student ID, the note: [Personal Points: 100,000].
For an ordinary high schooler, it was a colossal sum.
Hikaru also took out his phone. The information on his student ID was clear:
[Student ID]
[Name: Hashima Hikaru]
[Student Number: S01T004617]
[Gender: Male]
[Personal Points: 100,000]
— "Really 100,000... Isn't that too generous? This school is government-funded, right?"
Hikaru quickly calculated the scale of the expenses. With three grades and twelve classes of 40 students each, at 100,000 points per month, that amounted to 48 million yen monthly.
And that was just for one month. Over three years, it would exceed one billion yen. Was such spending really viable?
— "At school, you can buy anything with these points. No need to be too frugal, as they'll be reset after graduation. Enjoy your high school life to the fullest."
— "However, it's forbidden to force someone to pay for you. Otherwise, I'll get mad."
Hoshinomiya made a faux-angry pout, but she remained adorable.
Once the rules were explained, Hikaru glanced at Honami beside him. The girl was staring at her phone screen, looking strangely absorbed.
*Is she in shock?*
Hikaru abandoned the idea of talking to her and began analyzing the rules explained by Hoshinomiya, as well as the doubts that had assailed him since his arrival.
Three years of boarding, a fully enclosed artificial island, luxurious commercial facilities, and 100,000 points distributed each month...
All of it made Hikaru frown. It reminded him of an unpleasant word: guinea pig.
No matter how you looked at it, with such massive investment and a 100% success rate for both studies and employment, the school must have a very particular system.
And that system was certainly not designed to offer students a carefree life, with money to spend, state-of-the-art phones, and comfortable individual rooms.
*"This school follows a policy where only the strongest triumph."*
The words of the student council president echoed in Hikaru's mind, connecting all his doubts like an invisible thread.
A hypothesis slowly formed in his mind. He needed to verify it now.
From the day he received his admission letter, Hikaru had decided he would graduate from here. Now that he felt something was off, he couldn't start his school life in ignorance.
So, he raised his hand.
— "Sensei, may I ask a question?"
Since entering classroom 1-B, Hoshinomiya had been discreetly observing her students.
It wasn't her first year as the homeroom teacher of 1-B, so she knew the general level of these students perfectly.
Good enough, but far from excellent. Without a figure capable of leading them to the top, they had no chance of reaching the highest ranks.
Seeing them all dreaming of a luxurious school life, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
*Another three boring years, apparently...*
But suddenly, Hikaru's question resonated like thunder in her ears. Her eyes immediately locked onto the boy raising his hand.
He had a particularly attractive face, a well-defined nose, and clear, sharp eyes. However, his thin lips and slightly raised eyelids gave him a sharp rather than gentle air.
*The kind of boy I'd dare talk to if I met him outside... hum... What am I thinking!*
Hoshinomiya immediately flashed her cutest smile.
— "Of course, I'm listening."
— "I wanted to know: are the 100,000 points credited automatically every month?"
— "Uh..."
— "This question is a bit delicate. I can't answer it right now."
Though she feigned embarrassment, her heart was racing. She stared intently into Hikaru's eyes, waiting for his reaction.
The other students, hearing this exchange, also turned their attention to Hikaru, perplexed.
Noticing Honami looking at him too, Hikaru smiled slightly and declared:
— "In that case, if we pay in points, could you give us the answer?"
— "After all, you just said that at school, you can buy anything with points. The rules must be included, right?"
*He really gets it!!!*
Uncontrollable joy overwhelmed Hoshinomiya. She was now certain: this student was a rare gem.
*A trump card capable of crushing that woman once and for all!*
—"Indeed, it's possible. But can you pay the price?"
— "What's the amount?"
— "A one-time fee: 2 million personal points."
Hoshinomiya's gaze met Hikaru's. "In exchange, I'll reveal everything you want to know."
— "..."
' What a bitch...'